Ayutthaya

Take a day trip to the island of ancient Ayutthaya, the original capital of Siam for over 400 years. The city once held over 4,000 golden images of Buddha and 1,700 temples and palaces. Today the area is dotted with ruins, with hundreds of statues of Buddha with missing heads that were cut off by invading Burmese. Even in its present state, Ayutthaya is quite impressive and steeped in historical and cultural significance. Some highlights on any tour should include a visit to three gigantic bronze statues of Buddha and a boat trip to Bang Pa-In Palace and its beautiful landscaped gardens. Ayutthaya is easily accessible from Bangkok with various modes of transportation and is a popular tourist attraction. Visiting here will make you realize that there is much more to Thailand than just sun, sand, and shopping.